Uncle Nine: You were supposed to drive corpses, so you summoned the Monkey King!

The two agreed on a plan.

Qiusheng went out for a trip in the afternoon.

We went to scout out the docks outside the provincial capital.

Qiu Sheng returned just as it was getting dark, covered in sweat.

"I've found out."

Qiu Sheng picked up the teapot and took a sip of water.

"There is a wild dock ten miles south of the city, called Blackwater Ferry."

"That place is known for smuggling and illegal black ships."

"I paid a boat captain to ask, and there is indeed a cargo ship heading southwest at midnight tonight."

"Chartered boat."

Lin Chen nodded.

"Go and get some sleep, make sure you're well-rested. Leave at midnight."

it's dark.

It is midnight.

Lin Chen pushed open the door to room 204 and kicked Qiu Sheng awake, who was snoring.

"Get up, time to work."

The two changed into black short-sleeved shirts.

Lin Chen slung the cloth bag across his body and hung the lightning-struck wooden sword at his waist.

We didn't take the main road after leaving the hotel.

They deliberately chose to walk through dark, deserted alleys.

The south gate of the provincial capital has long been closed.

Lin Chen and Qiu Sheng scaled over the city wall, which was several meters high.

Lin Chen circulated the Shangqing Great Cave True Scripture, channeling his magical power into his legs.

With a few leaps, they stepped over the cracks in the wall and onto the city wall.

Qiusheng climbed up using the hemp rope.

Avoiding the patrolling soldiers, the two climbed out of the city.

Heading south, we went straight to Heishuidu.

They covered ten miles in less than half an hour.

There were no lights on the unlicensed dock.

By the moonlight, you can see several awning boats moored on the river.

The water flowed and pounded against the wooden stakes.

Lin Chen crouched down in a reed bed, allowing Qiu Sheng to hide.

"Look at that boat."

Lin Chen pointed to the largest awning boat on the outermost side.

An unlit lantern hung at the bow of the boat.

Two rather large men were smoking pipes at the stern of the boat.

"Those two have practiced," Qiu Sheng said in a low voice.

Lin Chen used a Qi-detecting talisman to sense it.

No magic power.

He was a swordsman from the martial arts world, hired as a bodyguard.

It's past midnight.

There were very light footsteps on the dirt road leading to the dock.

Lin Chen pressed down on the sword hilt.

A figure walked out.

He wore a long, greyish-black robe and a felt hat on his head.

He was carrying a leather suitcase.

The right shoulder is lower than the left shoulder.

It was the contact person on the second floor of the Peace Inn.

The contact walked to the side of the boat without saying a word.

A man walked over from the stern, and the two exchanged a secret hand gesture.

The man nodded and put down the springboard.

The contact person carried a suitcase onto the boat and crawled into the awning.

"Set sail," came the contact's voice.

The two men put away the springboard and untied the cables.

With a push of the bamboo pole, the awning boat glided downstream towards the center of the river.

"Junior brother, the boat has set sail!" Qiu Sheng exclaimed anxiously.

"No rush."

Lin Chen stood up and patted the mud off his trousers.

"It's not feasible to do it on land, let's go into the water."

He took out two talismans from his cloth bag and gave one to Qiu Sheng.

"A water-repelling talisman. Placed on the chest, it allows one to hold their breath underwater for half an hour."

Qiu Sheng took it and pressed it to his chest.

"Does this thing even work?"

"It was drawn by my senior apprentice, don't you think?"

Lin Chen pasted the talisman on and tightened the cloth bundle.

"Get in the water. Swim over and cling to the stern."

The two slid into the river without splashing.

The river water was icy cold.

Lin Chen used his magic to dispel the chill.

Using the current as cover, the two approached the covered boat.

The boat was moving slowly, drifting downstream.

Lin Chen swam to the stern and reached out to grab the edge of the wooden rudder.

Qiu Sheng then clung to the other side.

The sound of two swordsmen talking and laughing came from above the deck.

The contact person in the awning lit an oil lamp.

Light leaked out through the gaps in the boat's awning.

Lin Chen used his spiritual power to penetrate the wooden planks and probe into the awning.

The suitcase was opened.

That yin energy emanated from it.

Metal box.

The object is on the ship, and so is the box.

This waterway trip is going to be fun.

Lin Chen gripped the wooden plank at the stern of the boat. The river water was icy cold, seeping down his collar.

Qiu Sheng shivered beside him. The water-repelling talisman could ward off water, but it couldn't block the chill of the river in late autumn.

The lamplight inside the awning was dim. The contact person sat in front of a wooden box, using a compass to determine the direction.

Lin Chen made a hand gesture. Qiu Sheng nodded. The two of them climbed up the side of the boat, one on each side.

The wooden planks were slippery, and Lin Chen used the rivets as leverage to flip onto the gunwale. He didn't make a sound.

Two men smoking pipes sat at the bow of the boat, chatting and laughing.

"This job paid really well; I can marry a big, fat wife when I get back."

Lin Chen crept up behind them.

Without further ado, Lin Chen reached out with both hands and chopped at the back of their necks.

The two men didn't utter a sound and collapsed onto the deck.

Qiu Sheng dragged them aside and tied them up tightly with hemp rope.

Lin Chen drew the lightning-struck wooden sword from his waist and walked to the entrance of the awning.

The person inside was still fiddling with the compass, muttering incoherent incantations.

The iron box sat on the table. The array of patterns on its surface shimmered, and a chill could be felt even through the door panel.

Lin Chen kicked open the awning wooden door.

The wooden door shattered with a crack.

The contact didn't turn around, but instead flicked out three streaks of black light.

Lin Chen flicked his wrist, and the lightning-struck wooden sword swept horizontally.

With three sharp clangs, three poisoned iron nails were driven into the ship's plank, emitting white smoke.

The contact turned around, and his felt hat fell to the ground.

He was a middle-aged man with a face full of pockmarks. His triangular eyes gave him a fierce look.

"A Taoist priest from Maoshan?" The pockmarked man sneered.

His aura surged, revealing his early-stage Master of Humanity cultivation.

Lin Chen ignored him. He used the Seven Star Steps of Maoshan to close in.

Maoshan Ordinary Fist, Fire, Metal, Thunder Penetrating Power.

The pockmarked man hadn't expected the young Taoist priest's punches to be so fierce.

He formed a hand seal, and a black water shield appeared in front of him.

The fist slammed into the water shield with a dull thud.

Black water splashed everywhere, sizzling as it landed on the wooden planks of the cabin. The planks were corroded, leaving pits.

Lin Chen took a half step back. The pockmarked man was jolted against the cabin wall and spat out a mouthful of black blood.

"This is a tough one!" the pockmarked man yelled.

He reached out and grabbed the metal box on the table.

Lin Chen's lightning-struck wooden sword flew out of his hand, carrying the purple light drawn by heavenly lightning, heading straight for the pockmarked man's wrist.

The pockmarked man withdrew his hand. The metal box fell onto the deck with a thud.

Qiu Sheng rushed in from outside the door and threw out two top-grade Fiery Talismans.

Flames erupted inside the ship's cabin.

The pockmarked man was forced to retreat, a large patch of his hair burning.

"You're asking for death!" He bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto his hands.

The water vapor on the river surface gathered and transformed into more than a dozen water arrows that shot towards the two of them.

Golden light emanated from Lin Chen's body. Two golden light shield talismans were activated.

The water arrow shattered into water droplets upon impact with the golden light.

Using the water mist as cover, Lin Chen glided along the ground and arrived in front of the pockmarked man.

He unleashed a burst of energy from his right fist, brimming with the power of Geng metal to pierce through armor.

The punch landed solidly on the pockmarked man's dantian. The sound of bones cracking was quite crisp in the cabin.

The pockmarked man flew backward, crashing through the awning and falling into the river.

The river water was stained red, and after churning it a couple of times, it stopped moving.

Lin Chen turned around and pulled the lightning-struck wooden sword from the ship's deck.

Qiu Sheng ran over and picked up the metal box.

"Senior brother, why is this thing so hot?" Qiu Sheng threw the box on the table and shook his hand.

Lin Chen leaned closer to take a look.

The patterns on the surface of the iron box were breaking, and black light was seeping out along the cracks.

A drop of blood from the pockmarked man's mouthful of blood splattered onto the box.

The seal's balance was broken after the blood of the evil cultivators from the Nine Nether Sect was spilled.

"Oh no." Lin Chen took out three corpse-suppressing talismans from his cloth bag.

They stuck the stickers to the crack in the box.

The talisman turned black and spontaneously combusted as soon as it was pasted on, turning into ashes.

Lin Chen took out five Fiery Talismans and used cinnabar powder to draw a simple Bagua formation on the table.

He pressed the box into the center of the formation.

The black light was suppressed. The box was still vibrating.

"Is this thing going to explode?" Qiu Sheng swallowed hard.

"It won't explode, the things inside need to come out." Lin Chen exerted his strength.

He placed the raw amber against the box and used his magic to neutralize the yin energy.

The covered boat spun around on the river.

Lin Chen's forehead was beaded with sweat. The Yin energy in this box was even stronger than that of the previous Crimson Bone.

After a stalemate lasting about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the shaking of the box subsided.

Lin Chen released his grip. A crack appeared in the raw amber.

A thick layer of white frost covered the surface of the tin box.

"Let's go. Back to the mortuary." Lin Chen stuffed the box into the suitcase.

Qiu Sheng ran to the stern of the boat and picked up a bamboo pole.

The two men rowed the boat to the shore, abandoned the unconscious bodyguard, and headed towards the provincial capital overnight.